Genius by Birth
by DesertRoseTemari
Summary: Ino decides to buy Shikamaru a shirt, which turns out to be rather troublesome for him. Kind of Shikamaru x Temari. Temari x Shikamaru, really. One shot.


**Notes from the Authoress**

I saw a shirt today, and it inspired me. What can I say? Inspiration bites me all the time, but I particularly like one shots because I actually finish those. I guess this is my first posted fic since I've been back from my trip to Pennsylvania! The trip was horrible, but I've put it behind me. If anything, this fic has taken away all my sadness at the horrible-ness of the trip. I have a little confession about this fic, though. I was only going to write a roleplaying post in my journal to get thoughts out of my head, but I ended up deleting it and starting on this instead. That means...that this wasn't spell checked. Yes, I know, I should spell check it, but it's too troublesome. Hopefully I won't have mistakes. By the way, I'm not exactly sure what Shikamaru is wearing in this story. Just...just picture whatever you want as you read. I do actually know what I was thinking, but I'm too lazy to go back and fix it so all of you can see what I meant. Shikamaru's bad habits are rubbing off on me. Oh, yes, and ages...probably around sixteen for Shikamaru, but it could be anything once Temari starts staying in Konohagakure since I didn't specify.

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**Disclaimer**

Roses are red, violets are blue. I don't own Naruto, and neither do you.

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**Genius by Birth**

**One Shot**

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Genius by Birth  
Lazy by Choice

When Ino had seen that on a shirt for the first time, she immediately thought of her lazy teammate, Nara Shikamaru. She almost bought it for him, too, but she had already spent every penny of hers on a new wardrobe, which Chouji was trying to carry somewhere behind her. Upon arriving home and directing Chouji on where to put her clothes, she moved in on her father for more money. He loved his daughter to death, but she'd already cleaned out his wallet. After that Ino decided Shikamaru could live without said shirt; she had already spent all her and her father's money, stolen loose money around Chouji's room, and Shikamaru probably wouldn't appreciate it anyway.

When Ino saw the same shirt a month later, she was again overcome with the urge to buy it for Shikamaru. Unfortunately she was still moneyless, and the missions weren't coming in. He would have to live without the shirt for the time being.

...Or would he?

Inspiration hit. Ino wasn't one to make things for herself. It was easier to buy them, and really, who wanted her home made junk? But how hard could it be to make a shirt? She was talented in everything she did; it wouldn't take her long, and it would probably look better than the one she was seeing in stores. So after a day-long training session with Asuma, Shikamaru, and Chouji, she picked up the few supplies she would need from a discount store (and kept her head down so no one would see her in there), headed home, and started.

By midnight she had a dark green shirt with the words **GENIUS BY BIRTH, LAZY BY CHOICE** written on the front on two lines in black cut-out letters. It looked lovely. It almost looked like she had actually bought it in a store. She smiled proudly at her accomplishment. "He'd better like it," She told herself while lying the shirt down across her dresser. "Or I'll kick his ass for all the trouble it took me."

When morning came, the first thought that came to Ino's mind upon waking was the shirt. She quickly got ready for the day, grabbed the shirt she had made all on her own, and was out the door to find her teammate. It wasn't surprising to find him at Chouji's house, joining in on breakfast with the Akimichi family. "Shikamaru!" She said cheerfully upon seeing him; Chouji's mother had let her inside. "I have something for you!"

"Oh no," Shikamaru groaned just under Ino's range of hearing, and Chouji smiled at him sympathetically. The last thing Ino had given to Shikamaru was, in the boys' opinion, an outrageously ugly ribbon for his hair, using the excuse that he needed some sort of fashion statement. Shikamaru had trashed it shortly after receiving it, and when Ino found out, she had sent her knee flying into his jaw. Her _knee_. It's impossible to imagine how much that hurts.

"Ta da!" Ino said while holding the shirt out towards him by the sleeves so the words were clearly visible. "I made it myself," She added with a proud smile. "It looks better than what the stores were selling!"

Shikamaru took his time in answering her, and he only did answer because after several minutes of silence Ino had focused a glare of death in his direction. "It's...great..." He said slowly while taking the shirt she was still holding out towards him.

"I knew you'd like it," Ino confided, her glare fading to be replaced with her proud smile. She didn't seem to realize that Shikamaru was just trying to avoid another knee to the jaw. "Anyway, I have to help my Dad in the shop today, so you boys have fun! Ta ta!" She waved before saying a quick goodbye to Chouji's parents and sauntering on out.

Shikamaru sighed heavily while throwing the shirt on the floor. "Troublesome girl..."

Mrs. Akimichi picked up the shirt and held it out to him. "Now don't be rude," She scolded. "She took the time to make this for you, so you wear it now, you hear?"

Shikamaru took the shirt back, and when Chouji's mother left the room, he sighed again. "Troublesome."

"It's better than last time's present," Chouji offered between bites. "That's good, isn't it?"

"I wish she would get you something for a change," Shikamaru replied shortly while standing up. "Tell your mom I said thanks for breakfast, but I promised Temari that I'd see her today, and she'll throw a fit if I'm too late."

Chouji frowned slightly and actually put down his fork. "And you're not dating her?"

"For the last time, no, I am not dating Temari," Shikamaru answered exasperatedly. Chouji asked him the question all the time, and it was really starting to get on the lazy shinobi's nerves. "Stop asking. I wouldn't date a troublesome woman like her." Casting a look around the kitchen to make sure Chouji's mother wasn't hiding around a corner or something ridiculous like that, he added quickly, "You know what kind of girls I like, and it's definitely not Temari. Or Ino, before you ask. But don't you dare tell your mother." Chouji's mother had been trying for the last several months to hook Chouji and Shikamaru up with any girl that walked by.

"'Kay," Chouji said shortly. He had already gone back to eating.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes before leaving. He was almost half-way to his meeting place with Temari when he realized that the first thing the older kunoichi would do was make fun of the gift Ino had given him. Temari liked teasing Shikamaru about anything she could, including Ino, whom she constantly said Shikamaru should go out with. He stopped at a public restroom and put the shirt on over his mesh shirt but under his jacket, hoping that if Temari actually spotted the words on the shirt he could pass it off as something his mother had given to him and made him wear. "This is so troublesome," He muttered to himself when he realized how hot it actually was wearing the fishnet, shirt, and jacket. Next time Ino tried to give him something, he wouldn't accept it. All her gifts turned out to be...satanic, in some sort of way, not to mention that Shikamaru actually had to waste time shopping for something to give her in return. He couldn't accept a gift from a woman and not give her something back; he was too much of a gentleman for it, even if he wouldn't admit it. Maybe that's why Ino gave him things and not Chouji; Shikamaru actually gave her things in return. _Note to self_, He thought as that hit. _Depending on level of troublesome occurences this shirt brings, buy Ino a gift she'll hate as much as I hate this._

"There you are, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru looked up from tugging at his jacket. He had exited the bathroom and stopped several feet away to see if he could get the layers of clothing not to be so annoying, but apparently someone had found him, that someone being Suna no Temari.

"You made me wait," Temari said unhappily as she stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "Why are you always late? Is it too _troublesome_ to be on time?" Another thing she liked to bother him about: his overuse of the word troublesome. "We should just stop setting up times to meet. I always end up finding you anyway." That wasn't true at all; he was usually only a little late, if not early, because he knew Temari was really bothered if he showed up too long after their appointed time. Besides, it was kind of like his duty to show up for a meeting with a woman when he agreed to. She paused and wrinkled her nose slightly. "What are you wearing?"

"My mother made me put on another shirt," Shikamaru answered shortly while resuming his tugging of the jacket. "Troublesome woman. I was almost out of the house, too."

"Wimp," Temari said while brushing his hands away from his jacket. "Just take the stupid shirt off if it bothers you so much. Besides, I don't want you tugging at your clothes the entire time. It's annoying."

Shikamaru made it seem like he simply didn't want to bother with removing the shirt, but in reality he didn't want Temari to see the words. He felt stupid for even owning the shirt. He didn't need the older girl announcing out loud how stupid it was. Didn't he have enough problems? Sometimes Shikamaru felt like there was someone out there sending bad luck his way because the person liked to see him in awkward situations...

"Well, come on," Temari said when she realized he wouldn't be taking her advice. She grabbed the younger shinobi by the arm and started dragging him down the street. "You were late, so you might as well train with me as an apology."

_Why do I have the feeling she planned it this way?_

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Training with Temari was always interesting. She constantly had new techniques or ideas she wanted to try out, and just because it was practice did not mean she went easy. Every time she managed to con Shikamaru into training with her, he felt like it was a mission and he was fighting for his life. He may or may not literally be fighting for his life. It depended if Temari was in a good mood. 

Temari jumped back, her opened fan held to her side for ready use. "You're sweaty," She said between breaths, a smirk adorning her face that always seemed to be there when she was kicking Shikamaru's ass around (or attempting to, as Shikamaru usually won their practice sessions once he got past his "I don't want to fight a woman" and "It's too troublesome" stages).

"That's what happens when you spar," Shikamaru said sarcastically, taking the time to try to get his composure. Somehow Temari had managed to con him into not using his shadow techniques, which meant he was down to the basics. How troublesome.

"It's that extra layer of clothes," Temari insisted. Her smirk faded to a frown before closing her fan and tossing it to the side. "Take the damn shirt off, it's hot and you're not used to it."

Shikamaru found what she said suspicious, but he didn't mention it to her. She wasn't worried about him, that was for sure. Temari always had an alterior motive. "Does this mean that we're done?"

"This means that I'll get that shirt off for you," Temari said in such a nonchalant tone that it didn't really occur to Shikamaru what she meant until she launched herself towards him. The next few minutes were spent with Temari trying to grab onto him, and Shikamaru constantly jumping back to avoid her. This was ridiculous. He was about to use his shadow techniques to stop her, but it was too late. She managed to tackle him down to the ground and, instead of trying to regain her composure, immediately started trying to tug his jacket off.

"Do you know how wrong this has to look?" Shikamaru snapped at her while trying to push her hands away with no success.

"Don't care," Temari replied shortly, her smirk back and strong. Unfortunately for her she wasn't careful enough. Before she could succeed in her task, the familiar feeling of Shikamaru's shadow attatching with hers shot through her body. "Cheater," She hissed instantly.

Shikamaru rolled onto his side, knocking Temari off and making her copy his actions. "You were trying to strip me," He answered her accusations bitterly.

Temari snorted. "Uh-huh," She said sarcastically as he sat up and looked at her, making her copy the action. "'Cause I really want to see your unfit little body, which I see too much of through your fishnet shirt anyway. That's exactly it. Did someone hit you on the head?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to answer, but then Temari started snickering. Her arm began to shake as she tried to point and laugh at him, and the shadows kept her from doing so. "Nice shirt," She added to her statements in the same sarcastic tone, this time sounding a lot more amused. Shikamaru looked down at himself and frowned. There were the words, showing through his open jacket. Great.

He released the bind he had on her before standing up and pulling one side of his jacket slightly over the other. He was going to close it, but the next thing he knew he was back on the ground with Temari lying against his back, pinning him down. "I think it's cute," She murmured near his ear, sounding rather smug. "It really is too bad that you're so lazy." Before he had to bother getting her off, Temari climbed off him herself and sat beside him.

Shikamaru sat up and rubbed his nose slightly; he'd hit his nose on the ground. "You're more troublesome than usual today," He shot at her while standing up and brushing his clothes off again, forgetting about his jacket for a moment. "I'm going. See you around."

"Wimp," Temari said again, but he only fastened his jacket and started walking away. Temari showed no signs of standing up and trying to make him stay, but when he was almost out of hearing range, she called, "Hey, Shikamaru!" He turned around, and she waved while grinning in that silly little way of hers. "I meant it! Cute shirt!" He rolled his eyes and started to turn again to leave, but it would have been too easy for him to leave without too much embarrassment to follow. "Cute shirt, with a hot boy inside it!"

Temari definitely hadn't tried to tease him about that before. Was she even teasing this time? Since when did she talk like that?

Shikamaru decided that walking away very, very quickly would be the least troublesome course of action.

It was really too bad he'd promised to see her again tomorrow.

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**End**

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**Notes from the Authoress**

I so enjoy torturing Shikamaru. He's such a pimp, how can I help it? If you squint, you might see some ShikaIno-ness in there, or maybe even ChoujiIno-ness. Please review, and let's all take a moment to thank the person I saw wearing the Genius by Birth, Lazy by Choice shirt. Thanks for reading!


End file.
